Charm City Puppies To Pay $75K, Refund Buyers For Illegal Puppy Sales: State

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A settlement has been reached with the pet store Charm City Puppies, Inc. of Columbia and its owner, Wayne Cossentino, over the illegal sale of puppies from the store.

According to Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, Charm City Puppies violated the Consumer Protection Act when it sold puppies in violation of the “No More Puppy Mills Act.” The Maryland legislature passed the law in January 2020 it became illegal for retail pet stores to sell puppies.

Under the settlement, the business at 8205 Snowden River Pkwy. in Columbia is barred from offering, selling or transferring dogs from Maryland. Charm City Puppies and Cossentino also agreed to refund payments made by Maryland customers who purchased dogs with certain conditions since Jan. 1, 2020, or pay for treatment of certain conditions.

The settlement bans Charm City Puppies from selling dogs in Maryland and requires the company to pay a civil penalty of $75,000 that increases to $250,000 if the company or its owners breach the agreement.

“The sale of puppies sourced through puppy mills is illegal in Maryland. The No More Puppy Mills Act was passed to protect pets, and our office will not tolerate those who endanger those pets by violating the law,” Brown said in a statement. “Former Charm City Puppies customers who purchased a dog that was sick or had a congenital defect are eligible for refunds.”

Consumers who are eligible for refunds will be contacted by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. Consumers can contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 410-576-6569 with questions.

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